Lyrium Greed
by Sheity Williams
Summary: While sailing toward the Deep Roads, Hawke meets one of Bartrand's sponsors, a bounty hunter on a contract. She only wants one specific relic and will leave everything else for the rest to enjoy. Unfortunately, things never go according to plan.
1. Prologue: A Shady Arrangement

**Prologue: A Shady Arrangement.**

As dawn dyed the sky with red and orange, while the wind turned cold and harsh, all activity within the streets died down for the day. Children went to bed, men returned from a day of hard work, and women finished their chores. Darkness crept in rapidly, then. Nocturnal creatures formed a new crowd, awaiting any prey with a heavy purse.

It is no wonder how a shadowy figure walked unnoticed. It hid inside a dark long cloak so no one would find out its true identity. Its hood seemed a bit loose, yet it would not fall down with the force of the wind. Its boots shone under the moonlight. Polished steel. The figure was wearing an armor. Its steps were confident, and strangely silent. It walked as if its choice of clothes was a mere dress. The person was familiar with the place, most likely a local.

The figure took a turn into an alley, where someone else awaited. A woman, wearing a dark leather armor and apparently armed with dual swords. You would need to be a real fool to believe those weapons were her only defense, though. These kinds of people usually have many tricks up their sleeves.

The woman watched as the figure approached. Her mind wanted to know who she was dealing with. It came in handy when contractors wanted to avoid paying the rest of her fee, but she could not directly ask any names. It was not professional.

The bounty hunter straightened to face the figure when it approached. It shoved a hand into its cloak, then showed her a bag which sounded like coins. The woman extended her own hand forward, asking for the money.

"Task?" she had not been told much when the meeting was arranged. She would not have even come if the money had not ringed loud to her ears. It was the sound she always enjoyed. The figure threw the bag to her and hid its hand again within the cloak

"I want you to acquire a rare antiquity." it commanded, with a female voice as the bounty hunter observed. "Its last known position is inside the Deep Roads. It is a dwarven relic"

"Whoa, hold on" she did not like where this was going. Not one bit. The Deep Roads were something else entirely. She grabbed a coin from the bag to look at it briefly. Just in case it was fake. "Are you even aware of what you're asking?"

"I wouldn't be here otherwise" the figure seemed angrily offended by the hunter's comment

"The Deep Road's a nasty place. I can't just go in alone. Going there is double my usual fee."

The figure took another bag from inside her cloak and an envelope. She handed both items to the hunter.

"The rest, when you return with the relic. All the information you need is inside it."

The hunter took the objects with hesitation. Her experiences with the Deep Roads had never been good. Still, something told her she would not be able to refuse this contract. She tried to appear satisfied.

"You have one year to complete the contract." the figure warned "I will be watching. I have more than enough resources to hunt you down if you fail. Don't ever forget that."

With those last words, the mysterious woman left through the same way she came. The hunter was left alone with a lot of questions in her mind and a small sense of regret. Something told her there was more to this relic than what she was being told. She tried to calm her thoughts. She just needed to proceed as she always did with other contracts. The sooner she found it, the sooner she could get over with this deal. She grabbed one of her throwing knives from her belt to open the envelope in her hand. At least she was not going to start the search empty handed.

* * *

**Prologues tend to be short, after all... **

**This story needs to be beta-read, so my guess is there will be mistakes. I apologize if anything sounds weird or confusing. I always do proof-reading, but it is never enough. I will edit it in the future when it is corrected.**

**I can't be sure when, but more of Lyrium Greed is coming. I promise!**

**Thank you so much for reading, even if you don't review (a review would be nice, though, just to know what you think, but I understand people who don't usually review...) I appreciate you took the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it and will come back for more soon!**


	2. Chapter 1: All In

**Lyrium Greed**

**Chapter 1: All In**

After seven months of careful planning, the hunter found herself yet again in Kirkwall. Tracking down the relic had been tough work. Her contractor had managed to give her a drawing of how the relic was supposed to look like. It did not make her job any easier, though. Her first stop: Orzammar. She had hoped the dwarves would be able to answer some of her questions and provide further information about it. Much to her disappointment, the trip had revealed little. Their ancient history spoke of many lost treasures scattered in the dwarven thaigs. However, none of the antiquities mentioned by the history appeared to be the one she had been tasked to find.

Then, she tried her luck with the local legends. Her search only became more tedious. She had listened to most, if not all of them, even to the ones which sounded the craziest, hoping to be more successful. Among all of them, only one stood out; it did not even speak of any specific relic. The Primeval Thaig was the last option. It talked about a place untouched by the darkspawn, where its secrets had never been revealed before, where treasure was just waiting to be found by those courageous adventurers who would dare to disturb the peacefulness of the thaig.

It was a long shot. A great risk to take. She had no guarantee of finding the relic. She would go in blind, something which she used to avoid at all costs. The countdown kept ticking. It made her nervous, maybe a bit careless. It weighted on her shoulders to transmit the message: time was running out. It was her last chance. Either she took it or prepared to lay low in a remote place.

Her last step had been to find a crew in which to travel. Hiring someone herself was not an option. She may have been paid well by her contractor, but she did not have unlimited resources. Organized expeditions were scarce and they would never venture as deep as she needed to. The Blight meant a huge advantage in her search and she was not going to waste the opportunity. Bartrand's expedition had been among many others, yet it was one of the few prepared to take a dive into the Deep Roads. The dwarf's ambition proved beneficial for the hunter.

When she approached Bartrand in Kirkwall, he still lacked some crew members and funding. At first, he had been reluctant and did not trust the real intentions of the hunter when she offered her combat expertise and experience tracking down ancient relics. The hunter was not willing to offer enough money to buy her way inside the ship. Her last alternative came down to telling the truth, another move she did not like to do. What finally convinced him was her claim of not being interested in anything else but what she sought. And, unfortunately, some coin as well. Still, less than she expected. Once the agreement was settled, she was directed to the ship they would be sailing in and where she met Bartrand's brother, Varric.

Soon after, the ship was ready to sail. Well, almost, since they still did not have enough coin to finally set into the sea or at least that was the last thing Varric had told her. Both rogues had taken a liking for each other soon after meeting. He had been interested in the hunting stories she had shared during one night when the crew decided to drink together. It had been certainly entertaining when the hunter kicked some groins as soon as drunk men tried any funny business on her.

The hunter had been wandering around Hightown one morning when Bartrand called for a briefing.

"We've chosen one of the hidden entrances" the dwarf began. The hunter was not paying much attention, though

"I didn't think we'd be ready so suddenly" she commented in a whisper to Varric, who was next to her

"Me neither" he replied "but Hawke solved that problem"

"Oh, so he became a sponsor, then" The hunter had heard his name around.

"He gave up more coin than you did. He gained more privileges."

"Lucky him." she paused for a moment before changing the topic. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

"Are you jealous?" he replied with a smirk.

"Of them?" she chuckled "There's no one aboard the ship who can amuse me with delusional tales of far away heroes. So maybe. A little. But keep it a secret" The hunter refocused her attention on Bartrand.

"Who invited an old woman?" he yelled with a frown in his face, interrupting his own speech.

The hunter watched as she asked to speak with her children. Hawke and another young man approached her. The hunter could no longer hear clearly their conversation, but she was not going to mess with somebody's family issues. Bartrand continued his speech.

"Before we set sail, I want to remind everyone of something important. Once we're out there there's no turning back. The better you do your jobs, the less time we'll spend inside the Deep Roads" he surveyed the crew with a critical eye. "Good. Now, let's get everything ready. I want to sail in less than half an hour."

The crew members dispersed. Some headed to the ship, others to the nearby market. Only Hawke's companions remained still, awaiting for further instructions from their leader. They had stayed and listened to the mage talking with his family. Bartrand demanded to know who had he chosen to bring with him on the journey. Hawke hesitated a few seconds before making his final decision.

"Aveline, Isabella, we have some caverns to explore."

"What?! What about me? Are you just going to leave me here?" protested Carver

"I'm sorry" Hawke was not going to change his mind "But mother is right."

"You need me down there and your know it!"

"I'd stay if I could, brother. We're not going on a picnic."

"So I get left behind to mind the chickens. Right" Carver left before anyone else could speak

Hawke looked down in regret for a few seconds before bidding farewell to his mother.

"Personal drama over with? Check." The hunter said

"Then let's get underway. The Deep Roads await!" Bartrand announced. Everyone followed him to the docks.

* * *

Once the whole crew had checked in and all supplies were loaded, The Revenant set sail with the wind in its favor. Aboard, everyone was assigned tasks, with the exception of Hawke and his companions, a fact which none of them liked. If they were going to spend a week in the ship, at least they wanted to have something useful to do. However, Bartrand argued against them, saying they would be a nuisance for the rest of the sailors. Hawke did not fight back. He did not want to make the dwarf regret his decision of allowing them to come.

Right there and then, Hawke met the hunter.

"I find it surprising that someone would complain of not having work to do..." she approached the group

Hawke raised an eyebrow "Then would you rather be the one with nothing to do for the next week?"

"Certainly. Besides, it is the sea who usually presents entertainment. Pirate raids, storms, mutineers..."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Vega" Varric intervened

"True." she offered her right hand to Hawke with a smile "Elora Vega, bounty hunter and fellow sponsor, or so I'm told"

"Ah, you are the woman he mentioned" he pointed at Varric with his head, while shaking her hand firmly.

"I am."

* * *

"Wait" Cassandra Pentaghast interrupted Varric's story, confused. "Vega? You're telling me the hunter was her?"

"What's it to you? My stories never mentioned her identity, it was never important to know how she was called...-"

"She was declared a fugitive by the Templars."

"By the Knight-Commander of Kirkwall" the dwarf laughed loudly. The woman stared at Varric, knowing what he had meant with those words but trying to find out if he was lying again.

"She was a criminal" she insisted. She could not hide the hesitation in her voice, though.

"I wouldn't be here if you had all the facts right, seeker."

"Then why did she also disappear?"

"You Chantry folk usually first kill, then ask questions. I'd like to think she was smarter than waiting for you to come looking for her"

"These are not ordinary circumstances." Cassandra concluded as she moved around the room, uncertain, with a hand on her chin. "Continue"

* * *

For the last two days, the ship had been navigating forward without problem thanks to calm water, steady wind and clear weather. Hawke had a feeling it was a matter of time before things went south. Trouble tended to follow his shadow closely. His instincts were right.

The third night appeared like any other. A soft breeze touched Elora's face to keep her awake. Her shift would be over soon. She was not really watching out for any suspicious activity in the main deck, but the bell noise alerted her.

"We're under attack! We're under attack!" someone yelled as loud as he could.

"Gunners, to the cannons! Everybody else get ready for battle!" the Captain ordered

Everyone spurred into action soon after. The hunter searched for their enemy until she found it a couple of miles away. She saw the first cannon ball crash through the ship's railing, and thankfully, land in the sea. The second one tore right through their hull, disabling one of their cannons. Elora rushed to the hatch as she avoided incoming debris.

"Vega!" Hawke shouted to make her stop running. "What's happening?"

"Maker, didn't you hear?! Pirate ship! Get your staff, see if you can redirect some of their fire!"

The hunter continued to the lower deck while Hawke looked for a target. He prepared his spell, then threw a Stonefist, hitting one of the cannonballs which missed their ship. Luckily, the gunners started firing at that moment. Even though the enemy sailed faster than The Revenant due to their smaller size, it was no true match for its crew's marksmanship. Each shot fired damaged the pirate ship heavily and it started to sink quickly.

"Another ship! Prow!" warned someone, a bit too late.

* * *

**A.N: Thank you very much to all of the people who read the prologue! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, even though I know it must have been even a bit confusing. It's hard to write in a foreign language, but I hope time will make me write better. If I don't write, then of course I won't improve!**

**If you detect any mistakes, pointing them out is always helpful! I don't always realize when something is wrong, sorry.**

**And yes, I took very long, but I am a really slow writer. I enjoy it a lot, but it takes me a lot of time to write even something simple. I'm saying this now so you know what to expect. I am NOT going to abandon this story, of course. It's just started, and I know where everything's going. Updates should not take longer than a month, unless I am busy with college. I will warn you on an author's note if it happens!**


	3. Chapter 2: Detour

**Lyrium Greed**

**Chapter 2: Detour. **

Everyone aboard heard the warning and turned to examine the new threat. Although it appeared to be bigger than the ship they had just destroyed, their new enemy matched its speed with ease. The vessel's front cannons fired a chain shot, targeting The Revenant's masts. The majority of them missed, yet two of them tore the main sail, thus forcing her to lose speed rapidly. Unrelenting, the enemy neared their position for a second strike which was directed just above their heads. As the pirates had intended, the foremast broke down, then left The Revenant motionless, except for the gentle swing caused by sea waves. The Captain was quick to adapt to the new situation and yelled new orders.

"Prepare to be boarded! Man the swivel guns!"

Sailors moved across the decks as a response. Even in the midst of chaos, all of them were well aware of their task. Archers tightened the strings of their bows to start shooting at the enemy, who had already settled themselves to the starboard side. Throwing hooks was their second step, in order to maintain both ships close together. Aveline lunged forward in an attempt to cut the ropes from the hooks. Several foes fell to the ocean, others grabbed onto the ship's hull, then climbed aboard. She did not stay to confirm any deaths, as more of them swarmed the main deck, immediately engaging into battle.

Two pirates attacked Hawke at once, both of them wielding double swords. The mage stepped backwards before blocking the incoming blade. He kicked one of them in the stomach, then dodged the other before hitting him in the head with his staff. The pirate had no time to recover as Hawke attacked with a cone of ice. One died impaled by one of the ice spikes, the other froze. The mage hurried to finish him in a swift motion with a Golem's fist. Next, he fired chain lightning at the closest enemy he saw, in order to acquire some valuable seconds in which to locate his comrades. Aveline and Isabella watched each other's backs with professional efficiency. Varric and Bianca worked as well-oiled machine, covering anyone who had failed to keep an eye on their own six. Elora was nowhere to be seen.

An astray arrow landed close to Hawke's feet, which made him turn to track down its source. One pirate had climbed to the crow's nest to gain an advantage over the crew.

"Varric!" he called, before pointing up with a movement of his head. The dwarf moved his eyes in the direction and fired his crossbow. The pirate's dead body plummeted to the ground, landing in front of the door to the Captain's quarters. Then, without a warning, its door came crashing down, shortly followed by a body. The impact sent splinters everywhere. Elora had gone through the door and now lay on the floor, dazed. Someone else raced outside the room, back to the pirate ship, avoiding any blades which meant harm. Following after him, many of the enemies tried to flee.

"They're falling back!" someone warned over the deafening sound of battle.

"Do not let them escape!" the Captain roared.

The crew kept up the fight and gave no quarter. Countless pirates were slain when they attempted to retreat. Elora glanced around her before sitting up to clear her head now that the adrenaline rush was gone. Hawke extended his hand which she grabbed to stand up. She dusted her clothes and stretched her muscles to verify she did not sustain any lasting damage.

The enemy vessel readied their sails while the last pirates jumped aboard. At a moment's notice, the wind drove it onward before The Revenant could fire their cannons again, even leaving some of their own sailors behind. With the main sail torn and without a foremast, the ship was unable to give chase. The enemies which had been abandoned were quickly subdued and tied up. Everyone cheered for their victory raising their weapons high. Aveline stared at the defeated pirates, who kept their heads low. She have had not much experience with them, she did not usually travel by ship, but no pirate she had fought against ever retreated, much less when they already had boarded their target. They always chose death over being branded a coward. She paused for a moment, deep in thought.

"Did you find that strange or is it just me?" Hawke interrupted her mental speculations when he approached her.

"Something's definitely off."

Hawke glanced at their new prisoners as well. This whole situation smelled rotten to him.

* * *

Varric stopped short his tale. The seeker in front of him had stopped pacing around to stare into the far wall as if trapped within her own thoughts.

"It is rude not to listen when someone's talking to you." Cassandra dropped her stare and glanced in his direction "Or did you start worrying I might be lying again?"

"No. But I get the feeling you know more about those pirates that you let on"

"Of course" the dwarf smirked, amused by the tendency of the seeker to state obvious facts. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't know it all"

"Then…"

"If you want to get the whole story straight, we can't get ahead of ourselves"

"We would be wasting less time. There's a war brewing right in this instant!" she yelled angrily while pointing to the entrance of the room.

"It won't help if I tell you everything right now. Details here are very important. Things you might consider insignificant could be what triggered a disaster. That is why I can't skip anything." Cassandra narrowed her eyes, then moved her hands behind her back.

"Alright, fine. Just answer one question and I will not interrupt anymore."

"Depends on the question"

"You said the hunter was on a contract. For someone else. What did she had to find?"

Varric smiled again at the seeker's curiosity before he gave his answer.

* * *

After their fight with the pirates, The Revenant's crew immediately set to repair the damage to the ship and clear the deck from corpses and wooden debris. Their biggest issue was the foremast, since they could not replace it until getting to the closest port. It required five men to lift the mast from the floor of the main deck to its original position. It was slightly shaky when they secured it, but at least it would hold for a day or two. Next came the hull damage. Luckily for them, the hole was high enough. Even if some water slipped inside from time to time, covering it with planks was a good temporary fix. Lastly, one of the sailors patched the main sail without trouble. The ship was in no way back to its feet, far from it, but it would not crumble. At least not until they docked.

Aveline had been assigned to the cleaning crew. The battle had left behind a few dozen corpses which had spilled blood all over the wooden floor. The smell of decaying flesh was not her cup of tea, but they could not leave them for decoration. She and four other men cleared the deck from dead bodies by dumping them to water. They would drag them where the railing was destroyed, then push them overboard. A simple but tedious task which took them a few hours to complete

"That the last of them?" she asked as she heard the corpse hitting the sea water.

"Thomas is getting the last one in the captain's quarters." he answered, already retreating to the hatch to continue other duties.

The woman directed her glance back at the empty frame of the door, where a man was dragging a body outside. Even if she only had a brief look at the corpse, she would never forget how horribly disfigured the man's face was. The room itself, the captain's quarters, was a complete mess as well. Books lay scattered across the floor, some shelves had been torn off, a table had been wrecked and even a small knife lay embedded in the wall. However, on top of all that disorder, Aveline did not miss the folded piece of paper which had escaped the bloodshed. It was placed close to the exit, as if it had just fallen from the sky. She marched forward to it, picking it up while inspecting her surroundings. The man, Thomas, was threw overboard his burden without looking back, then left to perform other tasks when he was done. The paper could be his, or not.

The note in her hand was dirty, yet not from bloodstains. Aveline spread out the paper, curious about its contents. She frowned at the sight of such horrendous handwriting which took more than a few minutes to decrypt. Her eyes widened once she managed to understand what was written.

* * *

Hawke walked around the deck, headed nowhere. For the two hours he had laid down on his hammock, sleep eluded him. He had counted four times the number of cracks he could see in the deck's ceiling. Further away, water dripped from a wet hole, leaving a dark mark where it was falling. Other sailors lay asleep in their own hammocks, making the walls shake with their snoring. The mage sighed while rubbing his eyes. He was tired, yet restless at the same time. Thoughts clawed at this mind almost painfully, thoughts of his family. His heart ached with each of Bethany's memories. Then there was Carver, who had been beyond upset when Hawke decided to leave him behind. He feared what kind of reckless action he would take in his absence. At least his mother had company.

The mage threw aside his thoughts, they only stirred chaos in his mind. He made his way to the hatch after deciding to have some fresh air. The main deck was brightly lit tonight, more than usual. Extra guards had been assigned to the night shift to improve combat effectiveness in the event of another attack. Hawke surveyed his surroundings. Apart from the guards and the helmsman, the deck was empty. Elora was at her usual spot, leaning against the foremast in boredom while keeping her eyes alert. For the last few days, he had had the chance to speak with the hunter, whenever they happened to meet at breakfast. While he did not completely trust her intentions aboard their expedition, she was someone entertaining to talk to. Maybe a casual conversation was what he needed to get his thoughts to relax. She acknowledged him with a nod of her head when he approached.

"Already back in action?"

"I only have a few bruises, nothing serious." she answered. The mage sat against the wooden railing, a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"Can't sleep?" she added, her sight still trained straight ahead. He nodded, exhaustion showing in his features.

"Varric's snoring keeps me up" she smiled slightly at his comment. They both kept silent as Elora never stopped her careful observation of the deck. Hawke stared at the sky in wonder at the sight of the stars.

"I'm curious about something"

"Aren't we all?" Hawke replied.

"I meant something related to you" she specified, watching him from the corner of her eye.

"Oh really?" he arched an eyebrow and turned his head to her.

"Everyone calls you Hawke, but it's not your name, is it? I mean, I don't really think anyone would want their child to be called Hawke Hawke…" he laughed heartedly at the statement.

"More strange things have happened in this world"

"So...?" she insisted

"I find your curiosity quite amusing."

"I find it weird no one has asked you before."

The mage paused, a smirk evident in his features "Garrett"

"Garrett Hawke?" he nodded, awaiting her reaction. The hunter stared at the man for a few seconds before continuing "It suits you"

He chuckled "That's a relief"

"I'd feared you did not want to be called by your name because it was horrible or something"

"Nah"

"Which one do you prefer?"

Hawke lifted his hand to his chin, in thought. The last time he had been called by his name, he had still been living in Lothering and his father had still been alive. Even though the fifth Blight burned his hometown, he had fond memories of Lothering.

Elora waved her hand "Nevermind, I'll just call you Garrett from now on"

"Then why did you ask for my opinion?"

"I thought you'd be faster to decide. But I did it for you. No need to strain your limited brain"

"That was offensive"

"Are you going to whine about it?"

"Maybe"

The mage glanced at the woman at his left as they fell into silence. Up until now, he had not had any chance to really take in her appearance. She was taller than the average woman, although not by much. Brown hair, dark eyes, tanned skin. Nothing out of the ordinary. She wore her usual leather armor with straps to keep pouches attached to her waist. Her choice of weapon were a pair of double swords, strapped to her back, although she could manage just fine with a bow, he had seen her practice once.

"What?" she interrupted his thoughts when she turned and saw him watching.

"I have a question for you"

"So now _you_ want to know something about me, huh?"

"It's only fair"

"True" she admitted nodding her head.

"How long have you been working as a bounty hunter?" The hunter was taken aback by the question. She glanced forward again, to the quarterdeck of the ship, with her arms crossed.

"I'd say… ten, maybe eleven years." Hawke whistled, impressed.

"I'm surprised you've survived this long" Elora laughed at the comment

"I am, too. I prefer to think skill has kept me alive, rather than luck"

"So you were pretty young when you started, I take it?"

"16, if I remember right. But I had my brother to protect me. I was a reckless little shit back then." The hunter lowered her head with a sad smile on her face. Hawke decided not to pry any further on the matter although he was curious.

Before the conversation could get silent, they were interrupted by the voice of one of the sailors.

"Ser, the Captain wishes to speak with you in his quarters."

The mage thanked the man for delivering the message and told him he would be there shortly. He straightened and turned to the hunter for the last time in the night.

"Nice talking to you, Elora"

"Likewise, Garrett" she returned to her duty while Hawke made his way to the quarterdeck, where the Captain awaited.

Inside the cabin, he found not only the Captain himself, but Aveline, Bartrand and Varric. Judging by the wild movements of his arms, Bartrand was livid, but he managed not to be heard by the entire crew.

"…ot enough proof. Could have been anyone" Varric tried to reason with his brother, who would not relent to any logic.

"Then you must be fucking blind not to see it! She's the only one on more than one contract!"

"Yes, but that is no reason to rule out everybody else just yet. We need to-"

"What's going on?" Hawke had to interrupt before his mind could be any more confused.

Everyone in the room turned to him, Aveline and Varric exchanged quick glances. The woman offered the mage a piece paper, the same one she had found in a corpse some hours ago.

"Just like we suspected, we did not fight off pirates. They were here for something. Or someone."

"They were here because of that blasted hunter!"

* * *

**What was it? Three or four months? In any case, I apologize, but this is how things are going to be from now on. I started college, and it takes priority over writing, as much as I love to do it. So, updates will come whenever I have the time. No specified date. Could be from a month to a year (I will try my damned best not to make it a year). But I will confirm that I will never abandon this story. I will try to update my profile with news of what's happening so you know when to expect a new chapter. Right now, I'm writing on paper through chapter 5. What takes me so long to do is the editing, which I have not even started to do on chapter 3. Sorry!**

**Anyway, I finished Dragon Age Inquisition just yesterday, and I have hundreds of ideas and concepts which I want to put down to a story. A few things about Lyrium Greed have changed. You don't need to read again the previous chapters, though. Also, I believe this story will have two sequels. One with the events between DA2 and DAI and another one with the events in DAI. The changes in Lyrium Greed due to the events in DAI will NOT spoil anything for you. These changes have just been made so you can find some rewarding surprises when I write the sequels. I will repeat it: there are NO spoilers from DAI. Obviously there can't be since this is 10 years prior, but just in case you were wondering.**

**Lastly, I know that the expedition to the Deep Roads as portrayed by the map in the DA website did not require any sailing, but this is fanfiction, I don't have to keep true to that kind of stuff. Besides, I should warn you this story will modify the main plot of the game. Some stuff will be the same, other will not.**

**Thank you for reading! As I always mention, constructive criticism is always welcome, just like enthusiastic reviews. It helps more than you may think!**

**To my two reviewers: Thank you so much! You can't even imagine how happy your reviews made me when I read them! I should have answered, and I'm sorry that I have not done it before. It's great to know someone is reading, no matter if it's only a few people. I try to throw important information in the form of details, so keep an eye out! ****I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job at it, but I'll never know if I don't try. ****Glad to know you like my OC! ****I really hope you keep enjoying this story, even if updates will not be steady.**


	4. Chapter 3: Tainted Oakbrire

**Lyrium Greed**

**Chapter 3: Tainted Oakbrire.**

Located on the eastern part of the Free Marches's coast between Kirkwall and Ostwick, Oakbrire represented an important lawless enclave for all kinds of criminal activity. As a coastal city, its port housed and resupplied hundreds of ships per day, many of which were dedicated to plundering. Thus, the city was not a place for newcomers. If you were keen on keeping your purse through your entire visit, then the city needed to know of you. Reputation was a highly valued currency, sometimes even more than actual gold coins.

Everyone in Hawke's group was familiar to the city. Varric and Isabella had contacts -goons ready to give up information for coin- within the outer district, where the low-life peasants carried on with their survival. Aveline had heard about it, about lawless Oakbrire, but she had thought of it as delusions. She believed law enforcement could not be that incompetent. Hawke, on his part, had not known of its existence until he was assigned here a few months ago, when he worked as a mercenary. Elora had been a local for many years. As much as she traveled around Thedas for her contracts, she was comfortable in the Oakbrire hostile atmosphere. It kept her on her toes, ready for any encounter.

The Revenant docked by midday. Today, the port seemed bustling with merchant ships coming and going, goods being loaded or unloaded. The expedition's crew scattered as soon as the gangplank connected their ship with the ground, though they would need to return in a few hours to start repairs. Hawke had watched the arrival from the main deck. He breathed in Oakbrire's air, instantly regretting it. The atmosphere was heavy, heated, not at all what you would expect in a city with a beach. It was contaminated, corrupted.

"Cheer up, Hawke" Varric said, stopping by Hawke's side "We get some vacation before plunging into the depths of hell"

"I prefer to call it delay, Varric" he answered, looking at the small piece of paper in his hand. He did not dare to unfold it again, but its incriminating words were burned in his head since he had first read them the night before.

* * *

"_Extract the target"_

_Target? What target? Questions gathered in his mind. _

"_That's a wild accusation you're throwing around" the mage answered to Bartrand._

"_What's your take on this, Hawke?" Varric questioned. The mage spent some time thinking. He could see the logic behind Bartrand's claim. The hunter had stated she sought a relic, but was she? Still, there were many other variables to consider before any harsh action could be taken._

"_Could be her, or not." he said "But we can't act solely based on a note." _

"_Of course. I knew you would take her side!" Bartrand objected. _

"_It's not about taking sides. It's about solving a problem. If we act recklessly, we might catch the wrong person." _

"_Or not!"_

"_Justice acts on facts, not chances. It is rational." Aveline intervened. "If it were someone you know in her place, would you give them the benefit of the doubt?" Bartrand became more restless, he moved around uttering profanities only he could understand. _

"_Where did you find this note, anyway?" Hawke asked Aveline, who provided a quick explanation. _

"_The captain vouches for Thomas. Says he's known the man since he was a kid" she added._

"_People change, cap." Hawke said._

"_I know it wasn't him. We are his only family." the captain insisted._

_Hawke dropped the matter, deciding it was not worth arguing over, though he made a mental note to dig into it later. _

"_Captain, where did you put the prisoners?" Aveline queried. _

"_Cargo hold. We have two small holding cells."_

"_Good. Then let's get down there. They might be able to provide some answers"_

"_Ha! Allow me to highly doubt it. Our prisoners aren't exactly high-ranking officers."_

"_But we need to start somewhere."_

* * *

_The Revenant had two decks, and below them, the cargo hold. For obvious reasons, it was not a crowded place. Few people were even allowed in. The deck was not very big and its ceiling was lower than in the other decks. Apart from the rum barrels and wooden boxes of supplies, it only housed the two metal cells the captain had mentioned. The group focused their attention on the individuals inside as soon as they were within their sight. The eight prisoners were all on sitting on the floor and chained. Two of them raised their heads at the sound of footsteps but remained motionless otherwise. _

_The two guards posted beside it opened the cell and allowed Aveline inside. _

"_So, this is how it's going to work: You tell me who do you work for and we might consider a quick death for you. Maybe even sparing your life. Does that seem fair?_

_None of them answered, they did not even dare to look at the woman. One of them was shaking, but kept his head as low as he could. She sighed loudly. _

"_You don't need to keep up appearances. We know you're not pirates. We know you don't work for one. Do I need to repeat my question?" Silence was her answer once more._

"_Do I need to repeat the question?!" she yelled as aggressively as she could, while shaking the metal bars of the cell to make more noise. Three prisoners jumped, surprised, two lowered their heads again after glancing at Aveline._

"_Please, don't hurt us!" the third one whimpered, at the brink of tears. "We didn't want to do it!"_

_Aveline observed his features. Young man, could not have been more than an apprentice, eyes full of fear. The woman moved her hands behind her back. It was going to be much easier than she had first anticipated. _

"_I won't have to if you answer my questions."_

"_It was that Templar! He was bad luck!" confessed a fourth prisoner. _

"_Shut it! You can't know that for sure!" another prisoner spoke, looking at his comrade with narrowed eyes. _

"_Explain" Aveline said._

"_Uhm…" he hesitated, exchanging glances with his fellow comrades "Our cap'n. He took a new quartermaster. Just before we left port." Aveline crossed her arms._

"_What did he look like?"_

"_Fair skin, black hair, huge scars on his face. Tall and bulky." Aveline remembered the last corpse they had dumped into the sea. It may have been him who carried the note, she thought._

"_Why do you think he was a Templar?" she asked the fourth prisoner._

"_We had a mage in our crew. He kept watching her. The way he spoke of her. He liked to humiliate her in front of everyone."_

"_But he wasn't a Templar. Or he would have taken her back to the Circle." insisted the other prisoner. _

"_What happened after you left port?" _

"_Cap'n told us we were going to attack a ship. Someone said no. He killed him. No one else said no after that" _

_Even with all the information gathered so far Aveline could not envision the entire picture, but some pieces had connected. _

"_Thank you, gentlemen" she said as she left the cell and closed it._

"_Wait, wait" Aveline stopped, but did not turn. "What's going to happen to us?"_

"_Not for me to decide."_

_The prisoner tried to plea, Aveline would not listen anymore. After all, she had no real authority aboard The Revenant._

_The rest of the group had watched the entire scene from a secluded corner which light could not reach. The woman moved toward them._

"_We have more questions now than we did before." the captain stated, voicing everyone's thoughts._

"_Why Templars?"_

"_Well… I can only think of one reason they would want to attack us" Varric then looked at Hawke. He furrowed his brow_

"_I'm the target? Why now? They could have caught me back at Kirkwall whenever they wanted"_

"_Too many repercussions, maybe?"_

"_So what, were they going to cover it with a random pirate attack? They were not doing a good job at it."_

_Aveline considered carefully his words, running all sorts of hypothetical situations in her head._

"_We certainly can't rule that option out"_

"_So what do we do now?" Aveline directed her question at the captain._

"_We need repairs. We are sailing to Oakbrire as we speak, the nearest port. As for everything else, you better find out the whys and whos. Soon."_

"_How long are the repairs going to take?"_

"_A week. Three tops."_

"_Damn. Bartrand is not going to like the detour."_

* * *

Hawke lifted his head from the folded note to glance at Varric.

"I still have not heard what _you_ think of all this"

"Isn't it obvious? There's something really fishy here. But I don't think it's Vega's fault"

"Why not?"

"She's not that foolish." Hawke threw him a disbelieving look "Yeah, yeah, I've only known her for a few months. Still, she doesn't strike me as that kind of person."

"I truly hope you are right."

The mage set aside the note in one of his pockets, then checked his staff was still attached to his back before walking down the gangplank.

"So, where are you planning on staying, Hawke?"

"Nowhere near your snoring, that's for sure."

Varric chuckled. "Very funny. Seriously, now."

"What's wrong with staying here?"

"You really prefer a rudimentary hammock which you have to set up every night over a comfortable and warm bed?" the mage grunted in exasperation. He was right, even if he did not want to admit it. "Besides, I know my snoring isn't that bad… Is it?"

* * *

Oakbrire's Chantry was a decrepit tower located between the two districts of the city. Years had passed since its construction and not even the priests living inside took care of the wilderness growing around it. Vines covered its walls, making it difficult to know what material the tower had been built with. Its main door was still standing strong after all this time. The wooden carvings which used to decorate it had worn out and its shapes and lines were barely visible by now. The top of the tower had crumbled long ago, no one had bothered to clean the debris.

Elora opened the tall door, hinges complaining soundly. A deafening silence enveloped her as soon as she was inside. The main hall was everything the hunter could see and the humid atmosphere everything she could feel. There were some windows scattered across the walls, most broken, a few still in one piece, but all of them covered by the vines outside. Surprisingly enough, one priest was cutting down vegetation which had seeped inside the hall. At the far side of the hall there was an altar, delicately decorated and in prime condition. Between it and the hunter, dozens of benches allowed people to sit in prayer, or listen to the daily sermon. The hunter only saw two people populating the hall, apart from the gardener. Three if you counted the huge rat which traveled back and forth through a doorframe further ahead.

Elora walked through the left side of the hall, careful not to disturb the peaceful environment with the sound of her steps and watching the man who kneeled before the statue of Andraste. He had his hands clasped together in a silent prayer. The second person was a woman with Chantry robes who kept her eyes trained on that same sculpture. A Chantry sister? Elora was confused, however, she did not allow it to show in her features. The hunter took a seat close to the woman, yet not on the same bench.

"I hear you had an eventful journey" the sister whispered tilting her head backwards. Elora ignored her comment and began a silent prayer of her own

"I hope you understand. We had to be sure-" Elora scoffed, more loudly than she should have. She kept her head down and eyes closed.

"That I wasn't running?" she whispered, anger poisoning her words. "Right. I do not run away when I have a task to finish."

"Glad to see you know your place."

Elora raised her head only to look at the statue, without even sparing a glance at the sister.

"We will be in the Deep Roads in two weeks. Three when we reach the necessary depth. Then, I cannot predict how much time it will take to find the relic." explained the hunter.

"Then you better hurry. You were only granted a month."

"What?!... It's not-"

"Silence!" the woman spitted her words "We will hear no more. You were given time to complete your task and you failed. A month. That's it."

"It does not even give me enough time to go in and back!" Elora had raised his voice and even turned to the sister, who raised a hand to stop the complaints.

"It's not our concern" she growled, while her eyebrows wrinkled in a clear sign of anger "A month" she repeated "Or we will find someone else to do it. And you know what she thinks of loose ends."

The Chantry sister left the hunter, in silence, disappearing through a doorway to their right. Elora gulped down the lump in her throat and lowered her head. She'd better finish that prayer for her life.

* * *

**Whoa, this is actually a new record. I'll say that I don't know why, but my excitement makes the editing not boring. Here's an update. Because this story reached 10 followers and I have 4 reviews. Soooo awesome!. I am incredibly happy that people is interested in this! I know I repeat that a lot, but it's not any less true. Whenever I've tried uploading stuff on the internet it never interested anyone before. And now it does! I'd say that's a huge improvement.**

**Anyway, thank you guys for being here! Enjoy this update, review if possible, and stay tuned for more Lyrium Greed!**


	5. Chapter 4: Integrity

**Lyrium Greed**

**Chapter 4: Integrity**

Arrangements had been made and Hawke's team found a place to stay while The Revenant healed. Varric had taken the mage to a cozy inn, five streets away from the docks, inside the outer district, where they took the last three available rooms. From his room, he could listen to the hustle and bustle; officers bellowing orders to their deckhands, angry drunkards cursing fate for their bad luck and the cold beds awaiting at their homes. Your usual day in a lawless city. Another day gone, a new story begins.

The innkeeper was a kind man well into his old age, dedicated to his craft, although as sharp as any wise scholar. At least, he carried himself that way. His experience with life in Oakbrire meant he either stayed up to date or got overwhelmed by petty criminals. He was a good judge of character and cowered under no threat, for his own loyal clients respected him enough to protect his life. Hawke called bluff on that last part, just before the dwarf assured him it was all true. He promised to reveal the story once drinks were served. Tonight, it seemed, was a perfect opportunity to swim among beer and ale to forget about the impending doom looming over their heads.

Hawke and Varric were the first ones to gather at the inn tavern, ordering their first round of drinks. Curiosity forced the mage to ask first about the innkeeper's story, since the rest of the night would certainly become a tangled mess of details next morning. They expected Aveline and Isabella to join them soon, although by the time they came, Varric sipped the last of his second drink and Hawke had his curious mind sated long ago. Daylight began to drain outside. The locals started to light street lamp posts.

"This huge guy comes in, soaked to the bone, dagger ready in his hand" Varric explained to the two recent arrivals, while Hawke stood up to ask for another round "You could tell the wet armor was weighing him down, but he didn't care about it. He took some guy by the neck and threw him across the room."

"Should I be impressed by that?" Isabella said with a raised eyebrow.

"But there's more to it, Rivaini. You see, one of the poor guy's friends was none too happy about it, so what he does is take his own chair and smash it to bits on the big fella. Right in his head." Varric stopped short and leaned forward for dramatic effect. "The whole tavern went silent. Big fella turned, seemingly unfazed. He didn't even flinch!"

"Surely you must be exaggerating." Aveline said.

"Not at all! I would never lie to you! You're a crowd too small for that."

"Right." Aveline mumbled.

"So that fool got his ass kicked?" asked Isabella.

"Why was he soaked?" asked Hawke.

"Outside was raging the worst storm in history. Not a soul in the street. Big fella just gets out, ignoring the cries of the angry tavern owner for wrecking his property who runs after him only to discover he's disappeared. No one to be seen."

"Is this going to turn into a horror story?" Hawke deadpanned.

"Give me a little credit." Varric leaned back in his seat, eyeing his friends. "Besides, there is always truth to every story."

"What happened next? Did the lights go out? A child screamed bloody murder?"

"A couple of weeks later big fella's corpse was found next town over. No sign of the man he took hostage. His family mourned as if he were dead. He was never seen again."

"I'm sure he was just tired of his life and tried to find some excuse to leave his wife" Isabella said.

"And nobody even cared to investigate what happened?" asked Aveline.

"Not that I know of. Local authorities weren't even able to know who the big fella was, so people started with the demon talk."

Hawke scoffed, toying with his ale tankard "I'm guessing Templars closed the matter quickly."

"Exactly. They wanted the matter behind them as soon as possible. They had their scapegoat, they took it."

"The way I see it, that is one big piece of crap."

Varric shrugged after a new swig of his drink. "We'll never know."

"Let me tell you, Varric," a new voice intervened "that was a mediocre story if I ever heard one."

They all turned their eyes to the source, who stood just behind Isabella arms crossed

"You've been eavesdropping on us?" Aveline frowned.

"No. I just know his stories are always mediocre" Elora smirked. Varric tried to retort, but the woman grabbed a nearby empty stool to join the group and continued speaking. "I hope you don't mind me intruding. I've had a horrible day I need to forget."

"As long as you don't mind my 'mediocre' stories" Varric mocked, air quotes included.

The innkeeper interrupted them to ask Elora for her choice of poison. The hunter settled for the strongest available, which made Hawke raise his eyebrow. Back at the Revenant, her drinking habits manifested little. When they did, never something too heavy for the liver.

"That bad?" Hawke asked after the innkeeper returned with the order.

Elora threw him a stern look which spoke volumes and dived into her tankard to refresh her throat "To top it all off, I will be stuck sleeping tonight at the Revenant" she complained, sighing.

"You can take the spare bed in my room" Aveline offered, to Elora's surprise. She was unable to hide her confusion.

"I thought you didn't trust criminal types like me."

"And you trust _me_?" Aveline avoided the hunter's question.

Elora stared into the liquid before her for a while. "Ah, well, life is short" she glanced at Aveline "I can't really spend it worrying about that. I will take your offer, ma'am. Thank you" she smiled in appreciation.

* * *

Aveline's plan had appeared out of nowhere, but it was solid as far as she was concerned. Her kindness possessed a specific purpose. Cleaning any doubts about Elora's allegiance came first, before her involvement became a threat. If it was not her fault, the Revenant's Captain was already investigating his own crew. Aveline stared at her black surroundings long enough so her eyes adjusted. Outside the room, the crowd talked loud, even well into the darkest hours of the night and drank as if there were no tomorrow. Activity never died down.

Their room was peaceful, the hunter never moved an inch. Asleep or still awake? Aveline did not manage to make a guess, all she saw was her backside. The task ahead required finesse, stealth, not one of her greatest talents. Still, she was hell bent on following through.

For the entirety of the trip, Aveline observed how the hunter kept each of her belongings in a leather bag which she brought everywhere, just like her own weapons. The window of opportunity stands open once, then closes until who know when. Deciding on ransacking Elora's property pressed her heart with guilt. Not a good moral choice, although necessary, she had to remind herself. Forget about it.

After half of a night drinking and chatting, her body demanded rest, much to her dismay. Youth drained from her body, but she still retained some of it. Old was not a word for her.

Elora had retired to sleep sooner than anyone else, and Aveline followed suit soon after, exchanging glances with a confused Hawke and waiting enough time to avoid the hunter's suspicion. Thus, she had been lying in bed for the last hour, struggling to hold consciousness close, just to confirm the situation ran in her favor.

Stealing one last look back at the hunter, she tiptoed to the other side of the room, where she had seen her backpack the last time. Under her bare feet, the floor shirked softly a few times, yet the hunter remained still. She touched with her right hand the wall as she reached it, then slid down and grabbed the bag after her feet collided with it. While digging inside, realization came to her. The faint light from the street lamp posts leaking through the ajar wooden window grew faint as it dispersed throughout the room. If she wanted to have an actual look at the bag contents, she needed to get near to the only current source of light. Taking the entire backpack as careful as a newborn child, she moved to the window and opened it to widen the area where light reached. Her attention turned back to the inside of the bag, clutching the first object her hands came into contact. It was soft and small, and once outside, nothing more than a quill stained with dried black ink at its hard end.

Then, it was easy to identify a small jar of black liquid as ink, so Aveline paid no mind to it and moved on. Glancing inside the bag, she found various papers and envelopes, some rather crumpled, other neat and folded. The woman took them all to lay them on the floor for further examination. She discarded paper full of stains, smudged or just unreadable. Aveline shook her head in disbelief, too much garbage for no apparent reason. While fixing the mess into two piles, she also found a notebook embroidered in its cover with a strange design. She checked once more the bag for any remaining objects only to find several drawing tools, random food, several throwing knives and a few coins in a tiny pouch. Aveline was tempted to check the notebook first, however she saved the best for last.

Several pieces of paper held a different version of the same drawing. It was as sluggish sketch in most versions, some with similar shapes, others deviated, however, there were two of them who stood out. The paper itself was stronger and more rigid than the rest, more yellow and aged and worn out. The image it showed was a single idol of a woman reaching for the skies, body so thin her skin stuck close to her bones. Her eyes were closed and her hair fell on her shoulders as a tangled mess of locks. She also held a strange object in her hand, doing her best to hide it behind herself from whatever cosmic forces beyond her reach. The picture lacked shading or coloring, except for various blue lines running along the whole idol, veins like any living being has.

Aveline flickered through the other pieces of paper around her, now understanding what it was about. She was holding the original drawing in her hands. Then, she shifted her eyes to the second paper which called for special attention. It portrayed one of the darker versions of the original illustration: a woman with hollow eyes, starved to death, bald, naked and an angry expression in her face. Blue veins were engraved in this one, too, in a more realistic pattern than the original. Overall, it delivered an amazing sensation of being true to life. Aveline admired its beauty, both of the relic and the artist capable of such a fine illustration. The idol was drawn in several points of view and had various notes and arrows around it.

"Lyrium?" whispered Aveline, as she read the note pointing to the blue veins of the idol. Then, she raised her head abruptly, for the hunter had stirred. Aveline froze, unable to even breathe. Apart from turning to her other side, Elora remained calm. She released the air contained in her lungs, as silent as she could, before continuing her search.

Other notes, such as: "Human?" "Object or power?" "Pose?" were littered around the page, but revealed little concerning the nature of the relic. Of course, all that information had to be gathered at the notebook.

After returning every last piece of paper to Elora's backpack, the woman concentrated on the notebook, hesitant all of a sudden. Nothing indicated the hunter lied about her purpose. A contract to retrieve an ancient relic. Everything checked out with her story. If there was any reason to be suspicious, the notebook was her last resource.

She opened it by its first page, finding sundry papers with unimportant information. Aveline went through every page, mainly records of old bounties and work completed in the past, until she arrived at the place where Elora's current mission was described. The hunter had extensive research written down, more than any other job. At first, it had a brilliant professional touch, reporting theories and legends with possible connections to the relic. Gradually, though, it transformed into a series of personal musings and rant. Did Elora not find anything else? Text was also supplemented with sketches every once in a while, all explaining further any points stated or describing a scheme, structure or appearance. Aveline started reading to herself some fragments from different dates.

"_The object I've been tasked to find is an ancient lyrium idol, or so does the report say, long forgotten since the dwarves fled their thaigs once the darkspawn invaded. Apart from an overall description, details about it are more than insufficient, as always. The report she provided stated the relic is capable of bending a man's will and must be treated with care. In addition, it is engraved with lyrium and still somewhere in the Deep Roads. We'll see if any of that proves true. In any case, if it seems to have any magical properties, it will be easier to track down. Will start asking dwarves."_

Aveline wondered about the 'she'. Was the hunter talking about a contact? Or the individual who hired her?

"_Last visit to Kal-Sharok proved fruitless, just like Orzammar. There's absolutely nothing. Will have to try new approach."_

"_Information came in, although not a very trustworthy source. It claims the relic doesn't look like anything I thought. Back to the sketch board? Still, couldn't find anything about the lyrium engraving"_

"_Desperate times, desperate measures. I'm prying locals for any legends they might remember. Casteless are the most useful source. I'm getting tired of travelling between Kal-Sharok and Orzammar, though."_

"_I've been getting all sorts of information, wild and not so wild, so I hit the books again. This time, in an unrelated library. Jackpot. Or as close as it can get. Of course, still nothing about the relic itself, but I might have an idea of where it could be found. Primeval thaig, the first ever known, when dwarves didn't even have Paragons to worship. Fits some of the information I've been getting. If this relic has proved this elusive until now, it's because no one has seen it before, and if no one has seen it before, it still must be in the Deep Roads."_

"_I'm running out of time, but I know I'm getting close than I was nine months ago."_

"_Locals are talking. They already know me by now. Legends are shady, though, not many details. Now that I know exactly what I'm looking for, dwarven libraries became useful. It all points to a place under Par Vollen or the Free Marches. I will continue research, though, see if I can shorten the area."_

"_Looks like it's not going to be easy to get there. I've not been able to pinpoint the location to a 100% certainty, but either way, I'd rather not try my luck with Par Vollen unless absolutely necessary. Through that's not the point. Research says the thaig will be pretty fucking deep. As if the Deep Roads weren't deep enough."_

"_She is getting impatient. But I already have it all planned. Just need to find transport and people crazy enough to go into the Deep Roads. After that, I believe it will be easy to guide them down to reach the suitable depth. I've also found other information which will let me know if we've reached the thaig or not. Hopefully that will be sufficient for her. I'm so asking for more money once I'm done."_

"That confirms it" whispered Aveline to herself, this time, lowering her voice. She had almost forgotten Elora lay just a few meters away from her position. The guard went back to the notebook, and settled for reading the last entry, from a few days ago.

"_Found a crew. Finally. Though I'm way out of my timeline. I did some digging, just in case, and found nothing on her. I'm wondering if I'm losing my touch. It may be just because this bounty doesn't give me good feeling. Too fishy for my taste. Too late to turn back now, though."_

"_We're underway. People are a bit reluctant about my presence, but nothing I didn't expect. They just don't believe I want to be done with this job as soon as possible and don't care about the money anymore. Yeah, I find it strange too. I just don't like this."_

Once the last page of the notebook was turned, Aveline found two sealed envelopes, which nagged at her mind harder than the feeling of unfinished business. Its contents may be vital, but opening them meant leaving evidence of her meddling.

Working as fast and silent as possible, she left every belonging in its original position, including the bag, as her mind operated with the loose ends of the mystery. It was clear Elora spoke the truth about her intentions. Creating false evidence of that claim came as an option only apt for paranoid people. Aveline was not that suspicious to believe everything she had seen was fake.

Right now, her body and mind ached for rest. Bringing in conclusions was an activity best left for the morning.

* * *

Daylight brought soft summer rain which left the atmosphere hot humid, adding to the general sense of corruption within the city. Elora won the race for breakfast, while Varric came in second place. The hunter had ordered a plate of spicy baked beans when the dwarf appeared with his own choice of food.

"Go strong or go home?" Varric asked, while taking the seat opposite to the hunter. She stopped poking her food, then looked up.

"Spice is a great wake up call."

"Among other things" Varric smirked. "So any reason you didn't sleep in?"

"Same as yours, I'm guessing. Business. Got stuff to take care of."

"And what business is that, if I may ask?"

"Nothing much" she went back to probing her food. "Just some research."

"Being sleep deprived is not good for that."

"Ah, well, I really don't expect much from it anyway."

"So you're just doing it to kill time?

"Not exactly. Why did _you_ wake up early, then?"

Varric made a mental note about how good the hunter was avoiding the subject. "I find the morning a perfect time to get some writing done."

"You write? As in novels? Why didn't I know that before?"

"Good question. It's outrageous you've never heard of my work. Do you even know how to read?"

Elora threw him a stern look while munching on her beans. "If there was anyone else listening to you, they wouldn't be laughing either."

"We'll agree to disagree. But if you must know, I have a few published books. And I'm working on a new project. Best one I've ever done, if I say so myself."

"I'm wondering if that's just your ego speaking."

"You just wait, hunter, you just wait."

Both rogues continued conversing about trifling matters for the remainder of the time until Elora finished with her food and left with her bag on her back after a farewell and an agreement to return later in the day. Varric decided to leave the tavern behind to find a suitable spot to set loose his muse.

Aveline found Hawke eating alone, much later into the morning, Isabella and Varric nowhere to be found. The woman approached him, sitting down quickly in a nearby stool.

"I found nothing suspicious" said Aveline.

Hawke glanced up to her, then crossed his arms. While she had warned about her intentions last night, he did not quite agree, though he would not stop her.

"That's good."

"I did find what is this relic she's looking for."

"In other words, everything you found checks out with her story."

Aveline nodded. "Aren't you curious to know what it is?"

"Should I? People like her get hired to find trinkets all the time."

"Not this one, it seems. It's so unique, she had a hard time finding anything about it."

"And you know this because…"

"She has a notebook with her research. And speaks about her employer getting impatient."

The mage raised a hand to his chin.

"And if it's so unique" Aveline continued, "it's also dangerous."

"That just sounds ridiculous" Hawke raised an eyebrow at her words.

"I'm just considering all the options. It might mean less trouble further down the road."

"Then you are still suspicious of her intentions?"

"No, I believe her intentions are true. It's her employer I don't trust. And the artifact itself."

"I guess we can only deal with that if the need arises" Hawke said, finishing the last of his food.

"Maybe we can ask Varric to make some questions and find out about Elora's employer?"

Hawke stood up to leave "Get something to eat first, then we'll talk with Varric."

"Where are you going?"

"For a walk. Possibly to speak with the Captain and see if he found out anything on his crew."

* * *

**A/N: Whoa! It's been a year since last update. And a half. I hope you're still out there reading, but I already warned about this. Can't promise more regular updates, it comes whenever it pleases. **

**Anyway, I've come to think this year has been useful for my writing, at least, I've noticed some improvement since 2014. Hopefully you will notice, too! Feel free to comment on this matter, it would be so helpful! Mostly to see if the improvement I see it's actually real or not. **

**Oh, also, I know the description of the relic is different from the game. It's done totally on purpose. **

**Please read, subscribe, fav, scream, follow, like, retweet, share, unsubscribe, unscream, unretweet and all those things you usually say here. Seriously, though, reviews are appreciated!**

**Until next time!**


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